Chapter 10

Rayne stepped into the lavish office room, escorted in with his cousin Sasha by a perfectly polite attendant.

"The Dearcrofts, Ms. Kane." He said before exiting the room.

Rayne tore his eyes away from the sparkling chandelier to meet the eyes of the young heiress who was seated below it in a low, comfortable couch.

"Welcome," She gave them a beaming smile, her voice forced to stay calm, it seemed, "Please take a seat!"

Rayne nodded before he walked into the room.

At Clara's right, behind her, stood the dark, looming Bruce Slader.

He looked stern and said nothing, only acknowledging Rayne with a nod before his eyes landed on his pretty cousin.

He seemed focused on her, as though waiting for her greeting.

Sasha walked confidently to the couch opposite Clara Kane and took a seat quietly.

She beamed at the blond heiress before opening her mouth to speak, "Thank you for picking us to arrange your important event! We're so thrilled. My partners and I are excited to begin! We can't wait!"

Clara's eyes shone, "That's amazing! I'm excited as well!"

Her voice kept going higher and higher in pitch.

"I walked into the wedding you arranged a few months ago and I was stunned! Floored would be the word! The place was transformed! Magnificent! The shards of mirrors that decorated the ceiling of the passage! The lights and flowers! I couldn't get enough! It was like a portal into another world!"

Sasha's body tensed with pleasure, "You're too kind! The ceiling was Leah's idea and I had the flowers flown in! Did you know the sentimental value? The groom has an interest in gardening and those were the type of flowers he first grew for the bride when they first began dating!"

Clara squealed uncharacteristically, causing both Bruce and Rayne to flinch back.

"No! That's not true!" Clara cried, her eyes dazed, clearly daydreaming about her own future birthday party, "How romantic! How did you think to even do such a thing? I was unaware!"

"Ms. Kane," Sasha's eyes were twinkling as she sat at the very edge of the couch, hands gripping her knees, "There's so much more! We had such a good time putting the budget to use to create the most magical moment for the couple!"

Clara had inched forward as well, eyes soulful and wide, lips smiling desperately as she leaned forward into Sasha's words.

"Not only were the flowers sentimental," Sasha would not stop now, "the books that decorated the table by the Wedding Guest book were-"

Bruce cleared his throat cutting Sasha off mid-sentence.

The three others in the room turned to stare at him with wide eyes.

"I'm afraid Ms. Kane has other business to attend to as well," he said, his gaze connecting with Sasha's, "shall we begin the main discussion please. She has other important appointments. Time is off the essence."

Rayne sprung into action without hesitation.

Before even the effect of Bruce's words could sink in, he had his notepad on his knee.

"Ms. Kane, we can promise you only excellence," his smile was easy and pleasant.

Clara nodded at him blankly, still coming back to normal after her high had been cut off so abruptly.

"Now," Rayne started, his pen poised to begin his notes. He nudged the blank Sasha gently with his knee, "Would you have any idea about what theme would suit your birthday party? Any ideas yet that you want us to bring to life?"

Clara's face slowly lit up again as she started to go into heavy detail about what exactly she would like to be done. She went on and on, gushing at the things she'd seen online and in magazines.

--

Leah sat up in a haze.

She was tired and groggy and her head was spinning. Her eyes burned from the tears she'd shed the night before and her throat was hoarse.

Thinking of the things that had happened the night before, she felt herself go numb, the way she had been on the car ride home.

A faint sensation of relief lingered at the very back of her mind.

She hesitated.

Had it always been waiting to invade her mind?

Had she wanted to break up with Tim all along and just never had the courage? Had she never 'bothered' or 'nagged' him too much to open up to her because she had correctly been afraid that he would leave her?

Her thoughts went to the gorgeous redhead he had been escorting up the stairs and her stomach lurched.

She felt sick.

Dizzy, numb and still somehow sick.

She wanted the feeling to go away. Wanted to just float in a body of water and never talk to another human being again.

A human being… talking to them.

She jerked as it hit her.

They were to interview and discuss with Clara Kane that morning.

She grabbed at the sides of her bed, looking for her phone.

Picking it up, she drew in a sharp intake of breath.

She was late. So very late. It was ten minutes past reporting time for the discussion.

What was wrong with her?

Why didn't she set an alarm?

Why hadn't Sasha and Rayne woken her up?

Where were they?

She stumbled to the door in the dark and yanked open the door.

The apartment was silent, and her eyes burned as they adjusted to the light and caught the stack of pancakes on the table with a glass of orange juice beside it.

She glanced to the left and squinted at the note attached to her door.

"Gone to the discussion with Kane. Rest up."

A couple of hearts were drawn in the corner.

"No!" Leah groaned.

They'd left without her. She sighed. The first discussion was extremely important.

She groaned as she sunk to the floor.

She should be there.

She had to support Leah and Rayne. She should at least support Rayne, Sasha was terrible at taking notes. She couldn't remember things accurately to save her life either.

Leah let a left-over tear slowly go down her cheek.

She also didn't want to be alone that day.

She didn't want to sit in the empty apartment and wait for her cousins. She didn't want to sit doing nothing and risk thinking of the night before or of him. She couldn't bear the self-pity she would begin if she didn't have someone or something to distract her. 

She didn't want to be lonely.

'Wearing a good outfit after a long shower can always perk a person right up'.

Leah stilled thinking of what Sasha had said to her one day after Sasha's pet dog had died.

Pulling on a pretty, pink dress and dolling herself up, Sasha had given Leah a brave smile even with her puffy eyes and red nose.

'One night of crying is all I needed, Leah!' her voice still echoed in Leah's head as the memory resurfaced with full effect, 'I'm all better now'.

The words swirled around and around in Leah's head before Leah stood up.

The blond blinked her eyes several times before a determined expression took over her face.

She was all better now.